Tula The Tooth Fairy

Book 1 Part 1: Rottster Attack

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Chapter One: Professor T’s Classroom

The bell rang out loudly through the classroom inside Gumbridge University. It was followed by loud cheers of delight from nearly all of the pupils sitting at their desks. “Alright class, that’s enough for today,” said Professor T, wearing his long lab coat that he never seemed to take off. “Remember to have your homework ready by next week,” he told his students, as they grabbed their school bags and hurriedly made their way towards the door. They were eager to go home and rest after another hard day of school work.

“Tula, Sam, Larry and Daria, if you could all stay behind please, I’d like to talk with you,” the Professor called out, desperate to be heard over the noisiness of the pupils as they left his classroom. When they had gone, only four fairies remained. Three of them were sitting together, all of them best friends. The other one sat at the back of the class, looking bored.

The friends were Tula, Sam, whose full name was Samantha, and Larry. They had known each other since they were tooth fairy tots. Tula had short, blonde hair and piercing green eyes. She was calm as she waited for Professor T to start talking. Sam, who sat on Tula’s right, stared down at her desk, fiddling anxiously with her long red hair. Larry, the biggest and strongest of the three, sat on Tula’s left. Despite his tough appearance, Larry’s jittery leg gave away his worry.

The fairy, who sat on her own, was Daria. Her dark, neatly combed hair was pushed back to show her bored expression as she gazed at Professor T, wishing she could be anywhere but stuck in his classroom with the three fairies she disliked the most.

Professor T smiled at the fairies. Although he had a young face, his grey hair revealed that he was much older than he looked. “It’s ok all of you,” he said gently. “You’re not in any trouble, but I do have something very important I would like to discuss with you, and so would somebody else. Let me just check if he’s ready to see us.”

The Professor walked quickly out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving the four fairies alone together.
There was silence between them.

“I wonder what the Professor wants to talk with us about,” Tula said out loud. “Maybe he wants to give us more homework?” Larry asked no one in particular; like Tula he was just saying his thoughts aloud. “Why would he do that?” asked Sam nervously. Then she stared up from her desk, looking very worried. “You don’t think there is anything wrong with our schoolwork do you?”

Tula laughed, smiling at her friend. “Don’t be silly Sam. He said we aren’t in any trouble. Besides, everyone knows that apart from Professor T, you’re the cleverest fairy in Vitura. You’re his star pupil, remember.” “Yeah,” added Larry, who also grinned as he put a comforting arm around Sam, “I’m sure our work is fine, especially yours.” “Thanks guys,” said Sam with a sigh, feeling much better.

From the back of the classroom, Daria snorted rudely. “Yeah right,” she muttered, loud enough so the others could hear. Tula turned around to face her. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked hotly. A nasty smirk appeared on Daria’s lips. “How do you know what we’re here for?” she asked, giving her rival a stuck-up look. “What makes you so sure?” Although Tula was angry, she chose to act calmly. “Whatever we’re here for, it isn’t about our school work,” she said confidently.

Daria smirked once again. “How do you know?” she repeated, then added, “Your friend Sam may be smart, and I know I’m clever, but as for you and Larry…” Daria stopped and sat back grinning as she got the reaction she wanted. Tula looked offended and Larry bowed his head, clearly ashamed.

“Be quiet Daria!” said Tula firmly. “You’ve always got to be so mean. No wonder you don’t have any friends,” she added, before turning away to comfort Larry. Tula and Sam spoke gently to him, telling him to ignore Daria and reassuring him that he was clever. Larry was a very sensitive fairy and hurtful comments could really upset him.

Daria stared at them and although she was smiling, Tula’s words echoed through her head over and over again. She tried desperately to think up a retort before Professor T came back as she hated it whenever Tula had the last word in any of their arguments.

Finally she thought of something. “Friends,” Daria began, her voice sounding a little higher than usual. “I don’t need friends. Friends are for losers, babies who can’t take care of themselves…” She stopped when she noticed that Tula, Sam and Larry were not paying any attention.

Before Daria could think of any more nasty comments, Professor T walked back into the classroom. “Sorry about that,” the Professor apologised. “He’s ready for you now, if you could all follow me please,” he said, holding the classroom door open for them.

Tula put her hand up to speak. “Professor, where exactly are we going and who is ready to see us?” she asked curiously. Sam and Larry nodded, wanting to know as well. Even Daria seemed eager to find out what was going on.

Professor T looked proudly at his favourite pupils in the whole of Gumbridge University. “We’re going to Crown Castle,” he said excitedly. “King Wisdom has asked to see all of you as he has a very important task he wants you to complete.”

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Chapter Two: King Wisdom’s Plan

Crown Castle is the largest building in Vitura, and even all of Orleana. Shaped exactly like a crown, it is home to King Wisdom, Professor T, and their friend Orala. Together, these three are in charge of making sure that all the tooth fairies are kept happy and safe.

Tula and the other fairies were led by the Professor up the castle’s long, spiral staircase, towards the throne room. This is where King Wisdom, the Professor and Orala meet whenever very important decisions have to be made, decisions that concern all the fairies living in Vitura.

When they finally reached the top of the stairs, they stood outside a large, wooden door with gold letters on it that said: Throne Room. The Professor knocked on the door gently. “Come in,” said a deep voice from the other side. It belonged to King Wisdom.

Slowly, Professor T opened the door and the inside of the throne room was revealed to the young fairies. It was grand and majestic, with paintings of the other tooth fairy Kings and Queens that had existed many years ago hanging on the walls. A huge window looked out over the whole of Vitura, towards the Floss Forest and even the desert that made up the rest of the planet.

A long, red carpet led towards three separate thrones at the far end of the room. The middle one was the largest of all. Sitting on this throne was King Wisdom. His beard and hair were snow white and his dark skin was smooth despite him being 512 years old. Even when seated, he was tall and powerful looking, but his face was friendly and his eyes twinkled with excitement. While all the other tooth fairies carried wands with them, King Wisdom held a long, gold staff containing powerful, good magic.

Although the fairies were used to seeing the King, as he and Orala often taught them at the University, seated on his throne, holding his staff, made Wisdom look even more important than usual.

On the throne to King Wisdom’s left was Orala. Like Wisdom, she too was an elderly fairy, who despite some wrinkles on her kindly face, looked healthy for her age. Her dark skin and contrasting white hair gave her a striking appearance.

As Professor T took his seat on the throne to the right of King Wisdom, Tula, Sam, Larry and Daria stood before their three teachers, wondering what to do next. Smiling, Wisdom pointed to the ground and said, “Please sit down my children and make yourselves comfortable.”

Without a word, the fairies sat on the floor and stared up at the rulers of Vitura, for whom they held great respect. The exact same questions were going through each one of their heads: ‘Why are we here?’ and ‘What is the task that King Wisdom wants us to complete?’

King Wisdom cleared his throat and began to speak. “I won’t keep you waiting any longer. I expect you’re wondering what you’re doing here.” The fairies nodded and the King carried on, his expression becoming serious. “This is a matter of great importance. As you know, for a long time we tooth fairies have been under regular attack from Emperor Rott and the Rottsters. So far we have been able to defend ourselves using the Magic Shield that protects the whole of Vitura. But now things are getting difficult.”

Tula sat up when she heard this and exchanged worried glances with the others. King Wisdom continued. “The energy from the baby teeth we collect from planet Earth is starting to run out. This is because the teeth that we’ve collected recently are not healthy enough to supply us with much power. Without this power, everything in Vitura will stop working, and that includes the shield. We will be left completely defenceless.”

“However,” Wisdom continued, now sounding hopeful, “I have come up with a plan that might be able to help us, and you are all a part of it.” The King paused for a second, staring down at the eager faces before him. “If all of you are willing,” he said, “I would like you to go to Earth and collect as many baby teeth as you can to make sure that we have enough power to keep everything in Vitura working, especially the shield. I wouldn’t normally ask fairies of such a young age to do this, but as all the grown-up tooth fairies are needed to protect Vitura should the shield completely run out of power, I have been left with no choice.”

“While you are there,” the King continued, “I also want you to travel the Earth, meeting as many human children as you can, and ask them to take better care of their teeth. The message you shall spread will be called Dental Defence. The healthier and less rotten their teeth are, the more power they will be able to give. This is power we desperately need if we are to keep protecting our kingdom.”

King Wisdom then paused, staring at the excited faces of the fairies, before continuing, “What do you think? Do you want to accept this task? I have spoken to your families and they say it’s ok for you to take part in this mission, but only if you want to. I can’t promise that it will be easy, but one thing I can be certain of is this: you are the cleverest, most skilled students we have at Gumbridge University. Whatever the challenges that lie ahead, I’m sure you will do Vitura proud.”

King Wisdom, Professor T and Orala gazed at their pupils who looked back at them, unsure of what to say. Then Tula stepped forward. I’ll do it,” she said bravely. She was ready to do whatever she could to protect her home, her friends and family. ‘Besides,’ she thought excitedly to herself, ‘travelling the Earth and saving Vitura sounds like a great adventure! And if Sam and Larry are by my side it should be easy. It’s bound to be fun!’

Larry and Sam stared at each other, hesitating. Then doing their best to look as brave as their friend, they stepped forward too. “We’re going with you Tula,” said Larry. “Yeah, we don’t want you to be all alone,” Sam added. Tula hugged them both. “Thanks so much guys,” she said, happy that her best friends could join her.

This only left Daria, who had been looking at King Wisdom excitedly, but put on an unimpressed scowl when she noticed that everyone was now staring at her. “This sounds very interesting, but why should I go? What do I get out of this?” she asked haughtily.

“Daria,” Wisdom began, talking gently, “if you all do this and are successful, you will be seen as heroes. Everyone will know your names and you will forever be famous.” That was all King Wisdom had to say, and gave Daria the perfect excuse. “I suppose I could go,” she admitted, hiding her true excitement.

Tula, Sam and Larry were not pleased that Daria would be joining them, especially Tula. However, she did her best to hide her annoyance by smiling enthusiastically. ‘As long as Daria behaves herself and doesn’t spoil the adventure for me and my friends, then everything should be fine,’ she thought to herself.

King Wisdom stood up from his throne. “Well done all of you for accepting,” he said proudly. Walking towards the throne room door, he spoke quickly. “Now then, there’s no time to lose. You are to go home and pack for your journey to Earth. You will leave tomorrow at sunrise, so be sure to get a good night’s sleep.”

As Wisdom opened the door, gently ushering the excited fairies out of the room, he was unaware that the entire meeting had been spied upon. Indeed, every one of the fairies was oblivious to this. As Tula, Sam, Larry and Daria left the castle to go to their separate homes, they failed to spot the hovering, black crystal ball that had been hiding outside the throne room window.

The crystal ball belonged to Emperor Rott and had been sent to spy on the fairies, slipping unnoticed inside Vitura whilst the Magic Shield was switched off. With its task completed, it flew across Orleana, back to its owner to reveal everything that it had seen and heard.

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Chapter Three: The Rottsters

The black crystal ball flew through the air, zooming over the beautiful, green forest that separated Vitura from the other parts of Orleana. Eventually the ball arrived in the huge, sandy desert that made up the rest of the planet.

In the heart of the desert, inside a large, murky cave that was rocky on the outside, and had green slimy walls on the inside, lived the Rottsters. While most of the Rottsters were asleep, resting so that they had enough energy to launch another attack on Vitura, Emperor Rott was wide-awake, standing at the cave entrance. His body was small, elderly and so skinny that nearly every bone inside it was visible. Unlike King Wisdom, he did not look healthy or friendly and had no hair at all. Instead he looked feeble and cruel. Just like the King though, Rott carried a staff, only his was coloured black instead of gold and contained powerful, evil magic. Emperor Rott gazed out at the desert, waiting for his crystal ball to return…

Then, in the distance Rott spotted something small, round and black zooming towards him. He smiled happily, rubbing his hands together in excitement; his crystal ball was coming back. He could not wait to learn what the tooth fairies were up to. He hoped it would give him new ideas for how to attack Vitura.

The crystal ball floated into Rott’s outstretched hands and he stared into it. The surface of the ball became clear and showed him the inside of the throne room and the entire meeting between King Wisdom and the fairies. It revealed Wisdom’s plan to send the young fairies to Earth in order to collect baby teeth and to spread the message of Dental Defence amongst children. Once the crystal ball had finished, it returned to its usual black colour.

Rott clutched the ball to his chest and gave a loud, wicked laugh that echoed throughout the cave. It was so loud that it woke up the other Rottsters, including Prince DK and Captain Plaque. “Ha, ha, ha,” he cackled. “So that old fool Wisdom wants to send some of his pupils to Earth! He really thinks that they can beat me! Well, we’ll soon see about that!”

Calming himself, Rott walked towards the back of the cave. “DK! Plaque! Come here at once!” he bellowed, shouting for his two assistants. Annoyed at having been woken up, DK walked sleepily over to his dad. Like his father, he was spindly, but more vigorous and less feeble. He had ratty black hair and a bony face that looked like it was in a constant sneer. “What’s all the noise about Father?” he moaned. “Can’t a Prince get his beauty sleep around here?” Rott glared at his son but said nothing, ignoring his rudeness.

Following DK was Captain Plaque, a powerful-looking Rottster who had a larger, more imposing, muscular body than either Rott or DK. His hair was tied back to reveal his rounded, strong face that wore a ferocious grin.

DK and Plaque stood before their Emperor who happily told them what his crystal ball had revealed. When he finished, the two Rottsters laughed as well. “Does Wisdom really think that he can beat us with some tooth fairy kids?” giggled DK. “They should be easy to smash. Young tooth fairies are weak,” Plaque chuckled. If there was one thing he enjoyed, it was causing others pain.

Rott smiled, glad that they shared his happiness. “There is no time to waste!” he exclaimed. “The fairies are leaving tomorrow morning. I shall send my crystal ball to follow them. Once they reach Earth, I shall use the ball’s powers to make sure they are separated. I will then transport both of you and a small army of Rottsters to the planet: that way you can…”

“Capture them!” interrupted DK, looking excited. “You mean destroy them!” cried Plaque, pounding one of his large fists against the cave wall, so hard that it shook. “Silence!” demanded Rott. DK and Plaque stared down at the ground. The cave became still and silent.

“It is vital that the tooth fairies are captured and brought back to me,” Rott commanded. “And make sure they are unharmed,” he added, glaring at Plaque.

“I want them brought here,” continued Rott, “so I can make them my prisoners and show that old fool King Wisdom that no one can defeat the Rottsters. We are invincible!” The Emperor tossed his head back and gave another loud, evil cackle.

DK and Plaque giggled, until they too were cackling almost as loudly as Rott. Then all the other Rottsters slithered their slimy bodies towards their leaders. Happily, they circled them as they continued to laugh.

Their laughter could even be heard outside of the cave, but across the desert, on the other side of the forest in Vitura, no one could hear a thing.

The tooth fairies would not be the only ones going to Earth in the morning. The Rottsters would be following them!

Next time

Tula and her friends journey to Earth in order to begin their important mission. However, when Emperor Rott puts his devious plan into action, our heroes find themselves in more trouble than they can handle…